Happy Cooking

I'm interested in happiness. How could I pass up a title like Happy Cooking?

You probably know the author. Giada De Laurentiis. I didn't. Still don't, though I am pretty sure she is one of those celebrity chefs on tv. Don't hold that against her; she has a lovely little cookbook here.

Like many of us, De Laurentiis is happiest when she is cooking. In this book, she shares recipes that are both healthy and stress-free to prepare.

Well, let's put the cookbook to the test. Why not start with a recipe for something that is always a little stressful for me? Shall I try her recipe for pot roast? Yes, I think I shall.

Here's her recipe:

Sunday Pot Roast 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves 2 teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (5-pound) beef chuck roast 1-tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into 8 wedges 1 cup dry red wine ½ cup low-sodium beef broth 1-cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought ½ pound small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 8) Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture evenly all over the chuck roast. In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Reduce to medium high and add the roast, searing the meat on all sides until golden brown all over, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the roast to a plate and add the onion and fennel to the pot. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and the beef broth and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom. Stir in the marinara sauce. Return the roast to the pot, nestling it into the vegetables. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes, turning the meat once about halfway through. Remove the lid from the pot and scatter the potatoes around the meat. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the meat is tender. Allow the pot roast to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Reheat the braised fennel and potatoes in the pan juices, then arrange on a platter. Slice the pot roast and serve alongside the vegetables. Spoon some of the pan juices over everything before serving.

I was a little flummoxed at the start. Fennel? What's that? 

The produce manager at the grocery knew, of course. Looks quite a bit like an onion, though it is in the carrot family. Quite healthy for us, apparently.

All the other ingredients were easy. The recipe called for some onion. A chuck roast. Rosemary. Thyme. Garlic. Potatoes. Homemade marinara sauce. And red wine.

Some simmering on top of the stove.

And then ready for a couple of hours in the oven.

What did we think of the Sunday Pot Roast? It met all its promises. Healthy? Check. Delicious? Check. Easy? Check.

And are we quite happy now that we have eaten it all? Yes, we are.

I'm ready to try a few more healthy, happy meals from Giada De Laurentiis' Happy Cooking.

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